Willie Nelson

William Hugh "Willie" Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American entertainer and songwriter, born in Abbott, Texas and raised in Fort Worth. He reached his greatest fame during the outlaw country movement of the 1970s.

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Willie Nelson was born on April 30, 1933 in Abbott, Texas. Nelson and his sister, Roberta Nelson, were raised by their grandparents after their father died and their mother ran away. His grandparents gave him mail-order music lessons starting at age six. Willie played the guitar, while Bobbie played the piano. She met Bud Fletcher, a fiddler, and both siblings joined his band Bohemian Fiddlers while Willie was in high school.

After graduation, Nelson joined the Air Force, but left due to back problems. He also attended Baylor University for one year. Eventually, he became a DJ at a country radio station in Fort Worth, Texas, while singing locally in honky tonk bars. In 1956, Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington to begin a musical career by recording "Lumberjack" by Leon Payne. The single sold respectably but did not establish a career. Nelson continued to DJ in Vancouver and sing in clubs. He sold a song called &qu...